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1776: 177 A New Look at Revolutionary
Williamsburg
Wi
by K.M. K Kostyal
Mo Most Americans are unaware of the large role
tha that Williamsburg and Virginia played in the
Am American Revolution. Williamsburg was the cap-
ita ital of the Virginia Colony, of course. George
WWashington,
Thomas Jefferson, and Patrick
HHenry
all spent considerable time there. All
th three were members of the colonial legislature
wwhich
met there. Henry and Jefferson were
bboth
governors, elected after the colony
declared
its independence.
This large-format picture-book is divided into five major sections,
with an introduction and an afterword. Part one is a section
describing the founding and growth of Williamsburg as the capital of
the colony of Virginia. Part two recounts “A New Spirit” and describes
the opposition to British rule which grew in the 1760s and had its
dramatic high point in Patrick Henry’s speech denouncing the Stamp
Act in 1765. Part three is titled “Revolution” and begins with the
attempt by the Royal Governor Dunmore to seize the powder
reserves of the militia from its storehouse in Williamsburg. It
concludes with the passage of the “Declaration of Rights” (written by
George Mason) by the Virginia Convention in June of 1776.
Part four describes “The City at War.” Patrick Henry, the first
popularly elected governor, replaced Lord Dunmore. The militia
assembled and remained camped on the green lawns of Williamsburg,
protecting the colonial government from attack by British troops. In
1779, Thomas Jefferson was elected governor and the capital was
moved from Williamsburg to Richmond. Part five, “A Hard-Won
Victory” describes the arrival of British troops under Benedict Arnold,
who sailed by Williamsburg up the James River and sacked
Richmond in January of 1781. Arnold retreated through
Williamsburg and was then joined by General Cornwallis and his
larger body of troops in June. By the end of the summer, Cornwallis
had moved his army to Yorktown, about ten miles away from
Williamsburg and was soon besieged there by American and French
forces under Washington and Lafayette. In October, Cornwallis
surrendered.
This volume, like the previous three from National Geographic,
makes excellent use of historical settings and dedicated re-enactors
who take great pains to get all of the details of their clothes and
possessions correct. Colonial Williamsburg is a 300 acre park where
the foundation has very carefully restored original buildings from
the colonial era. There is something about these stunning color
photographs which makes the events much more real. The faces of
individuals in the crowd forces us to realize that these were ordinary
real people – and that the iconic events of the American Revolution
were felt by individuals from all stations of life.
There is a great deal of attention paid in the text and photographs to
the ways in which colonial life and the events of the Revolution were
experienced differently by the slave community in colonial Virginia.
Rightfully so. Without lapsing into a predictable political correctness,
the book has a refreshing honesty in reporting the reality of the
institution of slavery. The tension between the ideals expressed in the
Declaration of Independence and the Virginia Declaration of Rights is
noted and underscored.
Along with the other titles in this series, National Geographic is doing
a fantastic job of making early American history accessible to
younger readers. The publisher lists the target age group for this
book as “8-12.” The text seems to me to be pitched a little bit older.
I’d estimate more like 10-15, but the pictures will certainly grab the
attention of younger readers. The content is far more engaging than
the accounts in the standard textbooks. I’d certainly recommend this
for students up through grades 8 or 9.
1776: A New Look at Revolutionary Williamsburg is a hardback,
48 pages.
142-630-5176 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $17.95
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